U.S. physician payments vary widely, mysteriously: study

By Kathleen Raven

NEW YORK | Fri Sep 27, 2013 4:12pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Private insurance companies across the U.S. pay doctors dramatically different amounts for the same routine office visits and services, according to a new study.

Physicians at the high end of the reimbursement spectrum get more than twice as much as those at the low end for the same service, with little apparent reason for the difference, researchers say.

"We figured that if we looked at fairly similar office services across clinics, the amount received by doctors might not vary much," said Laurence Baker, co-author of the study and chief of health services research at Stanford University in California. "But that was not true."

In the push to contain healthcare costs, focusing on how much care patients use won't solve the problem unless the market forces determining what doctors charge and what insurers pay are better understood, Baker and his colleagues write in the journal Health Affairs.

Unlike other health care cost studies, theirs looks at actual reimbursement amounts to physicians, and not the amount billed.

The researchers analyzed more than 40 million claims filed in 2007 for nearly a dozen types of service ranging from five-minute check-ups to comprehensive exams.

The most common claim filed was for a "problem-focused" exam lasting about 15 minutes with a patient the physician already knew.

The lowest-paid 5 percent of doctors received $47 or less for the visit while the highest-paid 5 percent received $86 or more. The average reimbursement amount was $63.

For more complex, yet identical, office visits lasting longer and involving a new patient, the reimbursements ranged from $103 or less to $257 or more.

The study comes as state and federal government agencies are gearing up for national health insurance enrollment under the Affordable Care Act, beginning October 1.

The price differences couldn't be explained by the patients' age or sex, the physicians' specialty, the patients' insurance plan type - preferred provider organizations (PPO) or point of service (POS) - or whether the physician was in the plan's network.

Geographic location accounted for some of the price variation, but only about one-third of it.

Even with location taken into account, researchers could not pinpoint differences among specific cities because Truven Health Analytics, the company that provided the data, did not allow precise location information to be published in the study.

"The point is that (there is) very little that can explain these price differences, no matter what information you put into the model," Dr. Renee Hsia, professor of emergency medicine at the University of California at San Francisco, told Reuters Health.

"There is not much rhyme or reason as to why the prices are what they are," Hsia, who was not involved in the research, said.

Baker suggested that some variables, such as the quality of service provided by physicians, or the market power of insurance companies, could influence payments, but these were not analyzed in the study.

"The take-away message is to get a quote before you go to the doctor's office and consider shopping around," said Chapin White, a senior health researcher at Center for Studying Health System Change in Washington, D.C.

Comparison shopping on cost isn't easy for consumers, however, because the information is not readily available. Companies trying to bring price information to the public include the San Francisco-based startup Castlight and FAIR Health in New York City.

"We think it is important to push future analyses further to include information we were not able to look at here," Baker told Reuters Health. For example, the team did not know the size of the physicians' practices. Larger practices may be able to command higher reimbursements, he said.

"Some markets have very little variation in prices," White noted, which could suggest that those regions are dominated by a large health care provider, such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

He pointed out that detailed information such as practice size can be obtained through private data firms, but the information can cost upwards of tens of thousands of dollars. And different database sets rarely link together well when searching for meaningful patterns, he added.

Hsia, who has worked with Baker on other studies, said the amounts in the current analysis could provide a baseline of what is considered appropriate reimbursement amounts.

"Our system of health care pricing is unique in a negative sense," Hsia said. "No other country in the world comes up with prices like we do … It's a bargaining system between insurers and providers with market power."

"In America we like having market-based systems for the prices of groceries or gas. This study suggests that healthcare is probably one of those things where the market-based system doesn't provide the efficiency we hope for," she said.

SOURCE: bit.ly/19dxOfG Health Affairs, September 2013.

View the original article here

No link between celiac disease and autism: study

By Andrew M. Seaman

NEW YORK | Wed Sep 25, 2013 4:15pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - There's no link between celiac disease and autism spectrum disorders, a nationwide study from Sweden says.

People who were diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the study were no more likely to be diagnosed with celiac disease than people without an ASD.

Dr. Jonas Ludvigsson, the study's lead author, said the finding offers one less thing to worry about for people with either celiac or ASDs.

"To them, this is good news," Ludvigsson, of Sweden's Karolinska Institute, said.

Some researchers have reported on single cases of people who were diagnosed with an ASD and who were then diagnosed with celiac disease.

In celiac disease, which is estimated to affect about one percent of Americans, an individual's own immune system attacks the small intestines if they eat gluten, a protein in wheat and certain other grains.

Other studies have found that switching those people to gluten-free diets appeared to also reduce ASD symptoms, but larger trials have not shown any link between the two conditions.

For the new study Ludvigsson and his colleagues connected several Swedish databases to compare the celiac disease diagnoses among people with ASDs to a group of people without the developmental disorders.

The researchers had information on more than 250,000 people and they found no difference in the rate of ASD diagnoses among people with celiac disease compared to those without the condition.

About 44 people per 100,000 were diagnosed with an ASD before they were diagnosed with celiac disease. That compared to about 48 people per 100,000 who were diagnosed with an ASD but not with celiac disease.

There was, however, a link between ASDs and a positive blood test for celiac disease, which alone is not enough to diagnose someone with the condition. A celiac disease diagnosis requires both a positive blood test and evidence of damage to the small intestine.

"It's very interesting in my mind, because it points to some relationship to gluten that's separate from celiac disease," Dr. Peter Green, professor of medicine and director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center and a gastroenterologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia.

But Ludvigsson cautioned that the link between ASDs and a positive celiac blood test is based on a small number of cases. There could be a real relationship between the two or it could be a result of doctors overtesting people with ASDs, he said.

"I want to underline that the positive association we found in this small group could be by chance," Ludvigsson said.

The study also does not shed any light on whether a gluten-free diet improves ASD symptoms, he added.

"I think the next step would be for someone to carry out a well-performed study on a gluten-free diet in autism," Ludvigsson said. "There are several such studies, but my understanding is that they haven't been large enough in size."

Green, who was not involved in the new report, agreed that people can't draw any conclusions on gluten-free diets for autism.

"This (study) provides some evidence that there may be a role, but it may also help to find those who would possibly benefit from this therapy," he said.

Ludvigsson, who published his findings in JAMA Psychiatry, said it's also important to examine possible relationships between celiac disease and other "neurocognitive" disorders.

"Our study is definitive when it comes to refuting an association between celiac disease and autism, however, we can't rule out that autism is related to other intestinal conditions that do not fulfill the traditional criteria of celiac disease," he added.

SOURCE: bit.ly/P0ZWgC JAMA Psychiatry, online September 25, 2013.

View the original article here

Acupuncture as good as counseling for depression: study

By Andrew M. Seaman

NEW YORK | Tue Sep 24, 2013 5:02pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with depression may benefit as much from acupuncture as they do from counseling, suggests a new study.

Researchers found one in three patients was no longer depressed after three months of acupuncture or counseling, compared to one in five who received neither treatment.

"For people who have depression, who have tried various medical options, who are still not getting the benefit they want, they should try acupuncture or counseling as options that are now known to be clinically effective," said Hugh MacPherson, the study's lead author from the University of York in the UK.

Previous studies looking at whether acupuncture helps ease depression have been inconclusive. Those studies were also small and didn't compare acupuncture to other treatment options.

"What's more important for the patient is does it work in practice and that is the question we were asking," MacPherson said.

For their study, he and his colleagues recruited 755 people with moderate or severe depression. The researchers split participants into three groups: 302 were randomly assigned to receive 12 weekly acupuncture sessions, another 302 received weekly counseling sessions and 151 received usual care only.

About 70 percent of people had taken antidepressants in the three months before the study and about half reported taking pain medications. People did not have to stop taking their medicine to participate in the study.

At the outset, participants had an average depression score of 16 on a scale from 0 to 27, with higher scores symbolizing more severe depression. A 16 is considered moderately severe depression.

After three months, people assigned to the acupuncture group had an average score of about 9 - on the higher end of the mild depression category. Scores fell to 11 among members of the counseling group and about 13 in the usual care group, both considered moderate depression.

Participants who received acupuncture or counseling saw larger improvements over three months than those who had neither treatment. Those benefits remained for an additional three months after the treatments stopped.

However, any differences between acupuncture and counseling could have been due to chance, the researchers reported Tuesday in PLOS Medicine.

They found doctors would need to treat seven people using acupuncture and 10 people with counseling for one person to no longer be depressed.

"What this says is if you don't get completely better, there are other options," Dr. Philip Muskin, a psychiatrist at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, told Reuters Health.

"One option would be to take a different medication, but by this study these would be valid options," said Muskin, who was not involved with the new research.

He cautioned, however, that counseling and acupuncture are not replacements for medication. The majority of study participants were still taking antidepressants at the end of the three months.

Muskin said the study also doesn't show what types of patients respond best to acupuncture or counseling.

"What I can't tell from this study is who's who. Not everybody got better," he said.

MacPherson said it's best to ask patients for their treatment preference.

"If you talk to people, they would almost always have a leaning one way or the other," he said.

Acupuncture is only covered by health insurance in the UK for chronic pain, MacPherson said. In the U.S., some plans also cover acupuncture for pain or nausea.

According to online information from the Mayo Clinic, the risks of acupuncture are low if people hire competent and certified practitioners. Complications can include soreness, organ injury and infections.

"Cleary acupuncture is a new option," MacPherson said. "This is the first evidence that acupuncture really helps."

SOURCE: bit.ly/1803MNo PLOS Medicine, online September 24, 2013.

View the original article here

Why do British students prefer to study in the Netherlands?

British students are increasingly looking out for better options and places to pursue their education. It is not surprising that many of them are eagerly turning towards Dutch universities as a destination that can provide them a great learning opportunity with a lower fee as compared to the UK.

Nearly 1,600 British students had been enrolled in Dutch universities in 2011-12 that is 18% more than in previous academic year. For instance, at Maastricht University UK student population takes this year the 4th place.

The universities in the Netherlands are offering attractive incentives to students from the European Union. They are required to pay for a fee of about €1,771 (£1,400) per academic year for an undergraduate programme. For a postgraduate (Master) level course, the fee however is comparable with those in UK.

Dutch government provide EEA students with possibility to apply for a limited loan tuition fees of minimum  €266. More information to read on duo.nl. Even working students who spend up to 32 hours on a job per month, have access to a free public transport in the country as well as a grant of €266. 

As British citizens do not need a visa, they can apply at Dutch universities even in August for programmes started in September and in January for courses beginning in February.

Finding employment in the Netherlands has some prerequisites. A Dutch health insurance is required for this and a proficiency in the Dutch language can be preferable. But this is not difficult considering the options available for students to acquire Dutch linguistic skills.

The Universities in Holland offer a wide range of language courses for students free of charge or with discount. Many research universities, for instance, Leiden University, Tilburg University and University of Groningen (RUG) organize Dutch language classes throughout the year. From other side many British student can find a job at the companies there English is the main language of communication and the knowledge of Dutch is not required.

As most EU students are coming to the conclusion that a Dutch educational experience can be beneficial in many ways apart from the savings in cost. They offer a multicultural academic exposure at a young age in the land of tulips and windmills. See more information about tuition fees of Dutch universities in the searching programme database.

View the original article here

Free of charge programmes and grants for study in Finland

Finland is one of few countries in Europe where higher educational institutions offer more than 450 university studies in English and do not charge tuition fees for the Bachelor’s and Doctoral (PhD) programmes.

Several Master’s degree programmes are also offered free of charge. Non-EU/EEA students may have to pay a fee ranging from Euro 2000 to 12000 for the Master’s degree programmes. Non - Europeans who are permanent residents of Finland is exempt.

The average fee of Master programme is 8000 EURO. In case the education is free of charge foreigners should finance their costs of living in Finland during studies.

Cost of living is high, especially in metropolitan areas, and students are expected to prove they have at least 500 Euros a month in order to be eligible to study and apply for a student residence permit (a must for non-EU/EEA citizens). Students are eligible for discounts at eating establishments and can share low cost accommodation.

They can also go in for part-time work but in that case knowledge of Swedish or Finnish is a must. Scholarship amount may just cover the living expenses that are calculated to be about 700 to 900 Euros a month.

The students wishing to pursue a Master’s or a Doctor’s degree programme in Finland can apply for several types of scholarships directly from the institution they have joined for studies. Application for a scholarship can only be made after joining a relevant course.

CIMO scholarships Non-EU/EEA students can apply for CIMO (The Centre for International Mobility) scholarships at the doctoral and research level at Finnish Universities. CIMO offers CIMO Fellowships and scholarships for postgraduate studies and research.

The criteria vary according to the student’s qualification and the course he/she has opted for. It’s aim is to cover only the monthly living expenses. CIMO operates independently under the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture with an emphasis on promoting education, research and training.

CIMO grants post-Master and PhD studies for Kindred Peoples who belong to Finno-Ugrian group residing in Russian Federation. Universities’ grants:The University of Helsinki offers grants to eligible students under the International Master’s Degree Programme.The Hanken School of Economics offers limited scholarships for international Master’s degree students (non-EU/EEA student) as does the Aalto University.The University of Oulu disburses about 2.4 million Euros towards studies in business, architecture, economics, education, sciences and engineering.Erasmus Mundus is a unique scholarship programme for students pursuing an Erasmus Mundus Master’s course or an Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate Programme.

The scholarship is also available for varying periods for students and scholars from selected non-EU/EEA regions. Students have to study at at least two European universities and are eligible to receive 4000 Euros towards travel, 4000 Euros per semester towards participation costs and 1000 Euros a month towards living expenses.

The scholarship cannot be used for payment of tuition fees. EU/EEA nationals receive substantially less. Private organizations like Rotary International may fund students according to their criteria. 

As compared to other countries in Europe pursuing a Master’s or a PhD programme in Finland there is an attractive option due to scholarships programmes.The Netherlands universities also offer a wide range of grants for Bachelor and Master programmes. Doctoral studies are mostly free of charge and students get a substantial salary during their PhD studies in Holland.

See also the tuition fees and study programmes of Dutch universities.

View the original article here

Foundation programme at Wittenborg gets you ready for study

Very often international students need extra support in order to enter and complete their Bachelor or Master’s degree programme in the university. This can be in the form of a preparatory course in English which if completed successfully improves a student’s chances of being selected during the admission process at a Dutch university. In this situation it is important to enrol at an educational institution that offers an English preparation programme.

The Wittenborg Business school runs Foundation Programs to develop Basic English linguistic skills needed by foreign candidates. The course helps to international students to enrol for Bachelor or Master’s degree programme. The skills and knowledge which will be gained during such a preparatory programme help throughout the university education.

The Wittenborg University’s Foundation Programme is conducted exclusively by native speaking teachers. The courses are given at 2 levels: pre-bachelor and pre-master levels.

The Pre-Bachelor level comprises of foundation modules of the Bachelor of International Business Administration and intensive lessons of academic English. Students need to score a minimum IELTS level of 5 for gaining admission. At the end of the course, they are awarded an IBA Foundation Year Certificate and are eligible to apply for the Bachelor degree program, while receiving IBA credits already obtained.

The Pre-Master level comprises of the final year modules of International Business Administration Modules and intensive lessons of Academic English, if needed. A minimum IELTS level of 5.5 is necessary in this case. On completion, students are awarded an IBA Post Graduate Certificate and a direct entry to the Master’s programme.

The courses can be completed in six months or one year. Starting an academic journey with a strong foundation programme ensures a success in the future.

More information about Bachelor and Master programmes of Wittenborg Business School.

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FTC to Launch Broad Study of Patent Trolls

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Egypt Study Abroad Program Dates and Fees | IFSA-Butler

See individual program pages for program dates!

Below are links to our fees for all programs in Egypt. You can also visit program pages for individual program dates and fees.

Spring semester fees are available online around October 1. Fall semester and academic year fees are available around April 1.

Fall semester 2013

Academic year 2013

Spring semester 2013

What's included in our Egypt program fees

View the original article here

Egypt Study Abroad | Studying in Egypt | IFSA-Butler

NEW! IFSA-Butler is proud to offer a $3,500 scholar grant for Egypt. Download a scholarship application now.

In the post-9/11 world there is an urgent need to better understand the culture, language and politics of the Middle East. IFSA-Butler's new Egypt University Programs are helping students become part of solution to greater peace and understanding. Located at four renowned universities in Cairo and Alexandria, the programs give students a solid, intensive academic structure, valuable cultural experiences and language instruction.

Our Egypt University Programs allow students to focus on the academic concentration of their choice: Arabic language; politics and/or economics, Middle Eastern music; or Egyptology and Arabic literature. Each concentration features a curriculum of core courses, study of the two key languages in Egypt, and optional electives, independent study or university courses taught in English alongside Egyptian students.

IFSA-Butler's Egypt University Programs offer instruction in both Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and Colloquial Egyptian. Both languages are part of the core curriculum and are integral to everyday life in Egypt. MSA is the formal, literary version of Arabic. It is recognized in written form across the Middle East, but spoken MSA is heard only in extremely formal communications. Colloquial Egyptian is the conversational language of Egypt and is typically used on television and in the movies.

View the original article here

Egypt Study Abroad Orientation and Excursions | IFSA-Butler

Arrival and orientation

Arrangements for mandatory group flightAirport pick-up for group flight travelers10-day on-site orientation: Includes transportation, accommodation, activities and most mealsIntensive language classes to give students everyday language skillsWelcome meal

Orientation lectures

Introduction to Egyptian cultureDiscussion of academic differences and expectationsEgyptian antiquitiesEgyptian literatureEgypt RevolutionFuture of EgyptHealth issues and nutritionCrossing CulturesTraveling around EgyptSafety briefingWomen's issuesDealing with StereotypesEgyptian musicCalligraphy

Cultural events

Visit to Khan el Khalili, the oldest continuous market in CairoVisit to the Egyptian MuseumEvening show(s) at Cairo Opera House, Whirling Dervishes or Egyptian Traditional Music

Excursions

5-day trip to Luxor to visit the Valley of the Kings, Karnack Temple and Valley of the Queens (included in program fee)Weekend excursion-various excursions in the past have been to the Red Sea, Oasis or along the coast of the MediterraneanTour of Islamic Cairo and Al-Azhar MosqueTour of the religious complex (Coptic Cairo)Visit to the Citadel of Cairo and Mohamed Ali MosqueTour of a carpet schoolVisit to a perfume factoryDay trip to the historic sites of pyramids-Sakkara, Dashur and ending at the Great Pyramids of GizaTour of the National Museum of AlexandriaVisit to Fort Qaitbey on the location of the Lighthouse of AlexandriaTour of the Bibliotheca Alexandria, one of the oldest libraries in the world

Other activities

Monthly get-together mealsCooking Lessons"Home Cooked" Egyptian mealsLanguage partners in Alexandria

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Egypt Study Abroad Programs Map | IFSA Butler

Egypt Study Abroad Programs Map | IFSA Butler Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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Nokia cares what you think, seeks participants for locations product study

Nokia cares what you think, seeks participants for locations product study | Windows Phone Central Skip to main content Android BlackBerry iPhone / iPad Windows Phone webOS SIGN UP|LOG IN Windows Phone Central Windows Phone CentralForumsNewsReviewsHelp & How ToDevicesAppsGamesContestsDevelopersEditorials Search Shop online Cases Chargers Batteries Bluetooth & More New accessories FREE Shipping on orders over $50 Read in WPCentral App 50 Nokia cares what you think, seeks participants for locations product study News By Rich Edmonds, Monday, Apr 29, 2013 at 4:36 pm

We've received a tip from a reader that Nokia is conducting a consumer study of a product and is seeking a handful of participants. It's touted as an opportunity to provide feedback to help the company improve its products. Nokia is listening to the cries of consumers. This could well be nothing, but it's worth noting, especially if you're interested and have been contacted.

Those who decide to participate in the study and who are selected will take part in a one-on-one interview between May 13th to May 26th, 2013. The interview (conducted via Skype) will see the participants bag an Amazon voucher worth $75 afterwards. Nokia is currently sending out surveys to verify who's best suited for the study.

As already stated, this could be nothing at all. But with Nokia giving its location services some love over on its conversations blog, it could well be something to think about. We'll reach out to Nokia for more details.

Thanks, Jesse, for the image!

Rich Edmonds UK Editor

"The nice thing about Windows is, it doesn’t just crash, it displays a dialog box and lets you press “OK” first."

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Comments There are 50 comments. Sign in to comment raul_junior says:

I love you nokia

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 4:37 pm - 1 day ago Reply dalsmavsfan says:

I real enjoy my Nokia. Its Microsoft that's bothering me and the slowness or lack of apps. I wish my 920 ran android.

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 4:43 pm - 1 day ago Reply 89caps says:

If I had a wish, I would wish for quickness and more apps, not Android...

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 4:49 pm - 1 day ago Reply dalydose says:

I'm really glad it doesn't run Android, but this isn't the point of the article.

The HERE stuff is great and its good to hear that they are listening to see how it can further be used to differentiate. I have some ideas, but I didn't get contacted.

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 4:51 pm - 1 day ago Reply rockstarzzz says:

He said the A-word!

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 4:57 pm - 1 day ago Reply Lawrence Crecy says:

HAHAHAHA!! That made me laugh real hard

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 5:27 pm - 1 day ago Reply m4tthall says:

Pah, one reason why the phone is great is due to the OS. I love the Lumia 920 but would hate it with Android on it. It simply wouldn't be the same. I agree I want to see updates to the OS come more frequently but Microsoft are working on a wider strategy that takes into consideration a lot more than just WP. Apps, yeah we need them too but that isn't solely down to Microsoft, although I would put them at fault with the whole debacle around not having access to the WP8 SDK until far too late. They should have been investing in the devs that had invested in their platforms over the years. Sadly, I have seen too many jump to iOS in particular due to the barrier of entry being less than it used to be and the perceived lack of direction and apathy towards technology suddenly becoming obsolete from MS. Saying all this I love the way MS are going but they need to put extra effort in making sure everyone is on the same journey before it is too late.

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 5:38 pm - 1 day ago Reply So Fresh So Clean says:

Stupid troll

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 5:40 pm - 1 day ago Reply snarkysnickerdoodle says:

Oh no, Hit the Lights has a new screen name that is oh So Fresh and So Clean.

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 6:11 pm - 1 day ago Reply Rick2340 says:

What Apps would you like to see?

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 5:40 pm - 1 day ago Reply SlayerSpecial says:

I use Nokia because it does Windows Phone, if it wore droid it'd be just one more.

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 6:05 pm - 1 day ago Reply Ticomfreak says:

For me its opposite, as 90% of the issues I have are limited to Nokia Lumia 920's

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 6:45 pm - 1 day ago Reply duk3togo says:

I wish people realized that MS went that route with Windows Mobile and look at what happened. I like what they're doing and not rushing the os and giving us a solid experience. Nokia will never run android ever, MS would buy it before that happens.

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 7:41 pm - 1 day ago Reply omkneepotent says:

I would love to see drive come out of beta for wp8

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 5:09 pm - 1 day ago Reply inteller says:

THIS

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 5:23 pm - 1 day ago Reply mab664 says:

Nokia drive needs alot of work. #1 it needs to lower volume of music when reading directions out loud like google maps. #2 faster rerouts #3 accurate traffic (like waze)

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 5:35 pm - 1 day ago Reply WPenvy says:

When "fastest route" is chosen it would be nice if it rerouted around congestion that might build up while you're enroute.

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 8:05 pm - 1 day ago Reply Chef316 says:

I would say...like INRIX, not like waze

Posted on Apr 30, 2013 at 1:30 am - 1 day ago Reply Jamdot says:

How come you've got Drive+ installed on a 520?

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 5:14 pm - 1 day ago Reply Miscellaneous Rant says:

I would like to see that Storage app come to all Lumia, even to TMO's sorry ass.

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 5:16 pm - 1 day ago Reply unstoppablekem says:

You never told us you got a 520, I'm might be wrong though.

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 5:23 pm - 1 day ago Reply rodneyej says:

Nokia doesn't care.. They don't care!.. You don't care about me!.. Nobody cares about me!!..... Slit wrist...

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 5:36 pm - 1 day ago Reply procen says:

Ha ha ha good one! I will send flowers to you. :-P

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 5:58 pm - 1 day ago Reply rodneyej says:

You don't care either!

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 6:53 pm - 1 day ago Reply Chef316 says:

Bye...

Posted on Apr 30, 2013 at 1:35 am - 1 day ago Reply tim3804 says:

Checked phone updates for my Nokia 822 on Verizon and there was an update...anyone else

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 5:39 pm - 1 day ago Reply Dex84 says:

Thanks for the head-up. I just checked my phone and am now installing the update :-)

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 6:42 pm - 1 day ago Reply blackhawk556 says:

I would have loved to be sort of this. I got a survey from Nokia about a week ago but nothing like this. About a month ago I also got a $10 amazon gift card because I took another one of their questioners. I really hope they pay attention to our concerns and put Microsoft's feet over the fire. If WP 8 fails, Nokia fails right along with it. It will hurt MS but they won't go out of business like Nokia will.

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 5:46 pm - 1 day ago Reply jfVigor says:

$75 in amazon cash, is like $150 elsewhere if you buy the right things. This is an awesome deal. Pick me Nokia, I have a lot of insight into windows phones!

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 5:51 pm - 1 day ago Reply sayonical says:

Hey I got this invite :) filled it out this morning

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 5:52 pm - 1 day ago Reply apocacrux says:

I got a similar email from them, but for us Canadians there's a chance to win Purity headphones.

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 6:09 pm - 1 day ago Reply mauriciod73 says:

How can someone (ME) participate? 

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 6:12 pm - 1 day ago Reply Jess82#WP says:

nokia selects random people who registered their phones with them. I did it with the launch of the 900 way back when. I did the first survey and asked if theyt could use me agin for future surveys. For another $50 giftcard i'll wash your dog too.

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 7:27 pm - 1 day ago Reply SlayerSpecial says:

Off topic: yesterday was invited to watch a football game in the vip section, and the receptionist was a beautiful young lady, dressed in black with amazing legs, and... she had a Lumia 800 with green tiles, and, shit... She looked hot and ultra cool.

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 6:23 pm - 1 day ago Reply ScubaNitrox says:

I am so glad that Nokia is still making phones and will continue support them. They are the reason why WP is alive and kicking :-) Great Job!

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 6:56 pm - 1 day ago Reply allen chace says:

It's nice to see a company eager to get response from it's costomers to improve the end product.

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 7:11 pm - 1 day ago Reply CoopII says:

My comment. Stop with the provider exclusive crap. I'm not about to switch providers and pay more monthly. But if I want a Nokia either I pay full price and get it unlocked or switch to Rogers here in Canada. Main reason I'll likely get a Samsung because it's the only windows phone my provider has not the phone I want.

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 7:20 pm - 1 day ago Reply Jess82#WP says:

No problem Rich! And like i said in the email, i"ll give you a run down on what it was all about. And if any of you guys have any suggestions on what you would like Nokia to know about i will jot them down and if selected to participate i will bring them up in the interview. Thanks for posting the news as well. I always get stuff like this from nokia and they always use me in their surveys which is cool for me because ive made around $200 on amazon gift cards .

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 7:23 pm - 1 day ago Reply Selfie13 says:

I have also received the invite also, and reading your above comment about others who haven't received this invite, but have suggestions they would like to provide Nokia with as well is a great Idea. What do you think of setting up a topic in the forums for this particular reason, but would also like to keep the survey as genuine as possible. Would this be a good idea in your opinion without compromising the integrity of the survey? This could be a great place for Nokia and Pino to come and read many other suggestions, as stated below, Pino from here maps said they are always looking for feedback from others by reading wpcentral, blogs and many other sites as well. Just a thought.

Posted on Apr 30, 2013 at 8:36 am - 22 hours ago Reply Jess82#WP says:

Yeah we can defiantly do that. As I'm pretty happy with maps,drive and city lens I haven't really pondered how else it can be better. I'm sure it can be tho, So this would be a great way for others who have something that would be useful get their voices heard.

Posted on Apr 30, 2013 at 12:22 pm - 18 hours ago Reply jmajid says:

interesting... i received an email from a survey group this morning on behalf of microsoft, asking for my opinion about the surface, and they are offering 75USD also - but didnt say it was Amazon... the deadline is May 6th also.
Curious to say the least!

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 8:17 pm - 1 day ago Reply Techblogger says:

I like this. This is some old school Microsoft stuff they used to do a lot before Microsoft Office, WYSIWYG and Windows 3.11 dropped. This is a good thing for us. Always good things come from these kinds of inquiries.

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 9:07 pm - 1 day ago Reply edsal says:

I bought a nokia lumia 810 on TM and they seem to have forgotton us already 'should i pay more money for this in the future !

Posted on Apr 29, 2013 at 9:18 pm - 1 day ago Reply Nejcooo says:

i dont know if this is the right place, but ill ask anyway. so far im very happy with my 620, and windows phome OS (it's my first wp). i had only 2 problems:
-while lisening Nokia Music, display didnt want to turn on after i pressed power button few times, but music was still playing
next one, happened twice, and im wondering if there is any solution
-while being on EDGE, with NFC, WIFI bluetooth turned off, battery went from around 80% to 0%. phone was on my table while i was sleeping (around 8h).
2. is something i realy want to fix. anyone?

Posted on Apr 30, 2013 at 2:27 am - 1 day ago Reply Jess82#WP says:

Your phone may be a little wonky. Its technology so it happens, try resetting the phone. If it doesn't help you should be able to take it back. My first 900 was a little wonky and had no problems with the replacement.

Posted on Apr 30, 2013 at 12:18 pm - 19 hours ago Reply Nejcooo says:

hmm. thx for info

Posted on Apr 30, 2013 at 5:47 pm - 13 hours ago Reply kinaton says:

Sounds like a bad app.

Posted on Apr 30, 2013 at 5:48 pm - 13 hours ago Reply haikus says:

HI everyone this is Pino from the HERE team at Nokia.
I hope you're not very surprised that we are listening to you guys ;-) We do that all the time.
For instance, we're reading what's being said on WPCentral (or other blogs) very often. We also arrange user studies and user tests before introducing new products or features. We have done it in the past we will continue doing it also in the future.
Right now, however, we are not accepting spontaneous applications.

Posted on Apr 30, 2013 at 3:34 am - 1 day ago Reply kinaton says:

They will only pick people who have never said bad about their products. They would never pick me as I tell it like it is.

Posted on Apr 30, 2013 at 5:47 pm - 13 hours ago Reply Selfie13 says:

Thanks for the invite Nokia, I look forward to participate in this survey.

Posted on Apr 30, 2013 at 7:49 am - 23 hours ago Reply */Tip Us On News!

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